Manual vs Paddle-Shift Gearboxes

When you talk about the thrill of driving, it's hard to ignore its active elements: feathering the throttle, trail braking, turning the steering wheel into a gentle bend, or grabbing a clean heel-toe downshift, for example. But lately, it seems like these connections are being reduced or even eliminated. Cable throttle linkages are replaced with potentiometers and wires, steering is electronically boosted and transmissions shift for themselves. While these changes are supposed to increase driving enjoyment, we asked ourselves, which is betterpushing a clutch and manipulating a lever or pulling a paddle?

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To find out, we rowed through these transmissions back to back and went into analysis mode. The criteria would be simple: shift times, ease of operation and how well the system meets driver expectations over a short, but tight, autocross course. Our subjects would be a pair of 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutionsthe GSR features a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the MR sports a 6-speed twin-clutch sequential gearbox called TC-SST (Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission) that can be actuated via steering wheel paddles or a center console-mounted shifter. For the purpose of diversity, a pair of 2009 Porsche Cayman S models, with and without PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe), as well as a pair of 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo Balbonis, equipped with a gated 6-speed manual and 6-speed e.gear system, made cameos.

Manual

The manual-equipped GSR was the first through our course. The familiarity with the shifter's H-pattern gates and clutch was comforting. Downshifting into 1st as you approached the tight corners was easy and second nature with the Evo's lateral torque biasing system pushing the car through to the next straight.

If you drive a manual transmission enough, you begin to develop a rhythm. While you're looking ahead to the entry of the upcoming corner, you're searching for turn-in, brake and shift points. When you reach those points, you begin rev-matching back through the pattern. Heel-toe, slide the lever, release clutch, heel-toe again, slide the lever again, release the clutch and throttle up. As the tach needle sweeps close to the limiter, push the clutch in while pulling back on the shifter. It's easy enough, but at the same time, it's a complicated and coordinated dance with three pedals, a steering wheel and gearshift lever.

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As a bonus, it's a user-adjustable system. The shifts are as hard or as smooth as you want them to be. You don't have to wait for a computer to dictate when you can shift, and you even get feedbackshift feel changes as the transmission oil gets hot!

Even still, the twin-clutch automated manual does have its advantages. A consequence for all this flexibility is that the clumsy of foot or hand can also miss a shift. But more critically, we were approximately 1 second faster in the MR than the GSR on a 50-sec. course. This was an immediate drop and the data show that significant time was gained at launch and in all the hard acceleration areas. Being able to keep both hands on the wheel and the ability to consistently utilize left-foot braking was a factor as well.

One thing we noticed with the Evo MR TC-SST and Porsche PDK systems was an inconsistency that seemed to be based on transmission temperature. After six runs, our Evo MR would not execute a launch-control acceleration run and our Cayman S PDK began to exhibit slower upshifts with lazy clutch actuation; other times it would shift early. Not an issue while driving around town, but disconcerting when you're lined up at a competition event.

And so it stands: If driving is about operating a vehicle, the standard transmission is the better choice; you have full control and it's a much simpler system. For the driving enthusiast, it's the clear choice.

Paddle-Shift Manual

Say what you will, but the fastest and the most consistent way to swap gears is with a paddle-shift manual transmission. Period. Just as with anti-lock brakes, no human foot can cycle the brakes as quickly as a computer to slow down the car. And taking technology to its fullest potential, the fastest way around a racetrack could be with a computer at the helm, not a human. But before my email box gets spammed with complaints about how a Road & Track editor can profess such a concept, please allow me to explain.

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There has always been controversy about how much technology should come between the driver and car, and whether that technology enhances or detracts from the driving experience. This debate can be addressed by asking more specific questions. If the singular goal is to get around the track as fast as possible, then the transmission should be mechanized. Witness the shift times of the pair of Evos we used in our test. The paddle-shift manual on average took about 0.25 sec. to shift, while the conventional manual gearchanges were closer to 0.40 sec. No human can match a machine's consistency and accuracy. Further, the Evo's TC-SST helped maintain the car's forward momentum as it changed up through the gears, an added bonus for quicker acceleration. The advantages of paddle shift not only proved themselves in our autocross testyou can see the evidence in any top-rung racing series where mechanized transmissions have become the norm.

If the question, however, is how much enjoyment can be had with a paddle-shift transmission, then the argument can become convoluted. Accelerating the quickest and recording the fastest lap time for the ultimate adrenaline rush? Paddle shift wins. Want to feel more accomplished and connected with the car as you perform heel-toe downshifts? Manual wins. A pair of Lamborghini Gallardos we had recently came with both types of transmission. For the street, I'd pick the Gallardo with the gated shifter so I can be part of the process of making the car accelerate, brake and corner and at the same time hear the clicks from the metal shift gate as I try to match the engine speed and gear. For the track, give me the paddle shift, because I want to go as fast as possible.

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So, in fact, there isn't a debate. It's all about what you are looking for and for what purpose.